In rueda switch, the roles lead and follow are being switched back and forth. So men typically switch from ledaing to following, and ladies typically switch from following to leading. And back. The roles are switched back and forth throughout the entire song.
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Switch calls
There are several ways to switch the roles in rueda switch, and it depends on which figure the switching is connected to. There are two main types of switch calls, “switch” and “rapido”:
- Calls including “switch“. If it is not connected to an existing figure, like “easy switch”, then it is a separately defined figure.
If “switch” is added to an existing figure, like “enchufla switch”, then you switch by adding a 4-count to the original figure. - Calls including “rapido“, for example “enchufla rapido”. If “rapido” is added to an existing figure, like “enchufla rapido”, then you switch by removing a 4-count from the original figure.
Here is a list of some of the recent switch figures. For all the figures involved here, the videos of the regular variant are shown below (not the switch variant). These are some of the basic ways to switch, there are a lot more being used, some of which are shown in the video from the SalsaNor Rueda Congress below.
- easy switch: switch from guapea by turning to la vecina/el vecino, facing the center when turning.
- Figure with partner change switch – dame switch, enchufla switch, ..
switch when changing partner by the leader passing the next follower, turning and ending up facing the center on the right side of the next partner, and into dile que no with switched roles.
Note: There are currently 2 different ways of turning and ending up at the right side of the new partner, on 1-2-3, before the dile que no:
i) a 3/4 right turn
ii) one step forward (on 1) and then backing up while doing a 1/4 turn left (on 2-3) - Figure with partner change with a turn switch – patin switch, enchufla con vuelta switch, ..
If the partner change is already involving a turn, then keep turning 1/2 turn more, and you end up smotthly at the right place. - Figure without partner change switch – cero switch, vacilala switch, patineta switch, ..
Continue the figure with the first half of a cero, and then you’re in the position for dile que no with switched roles. So in cero switch you actually do one and a half circles around each other. The last half circle (same as the first half) is similar for all of these figures. - dile que no switch / confusion
Do the switch in the middle of a dile que no, like in the rueda figure por mi por ti. - dame directo switch
A regular dame directo, and in stead of meeting the hand of the new partner go directly to dile que no with switched roles. - Figure with partner change arriba switch – enchufla y arriba switch, dame una arriba switch, ..
Start moving in arriba direction, and when approaching the next partner, on 1-2-3 add an exhibela turn (a full right turn) for the leader, and then go directly to dile que no with switched roles.
+ a lot more, and still develloping ..
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Rueda switch workshop
SalsaNor Rueda Congress 2019
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Switch/confusion versus transvesti/sopresa
Rueda confusión started out as a similar ideaas rueda switch, develloping in different cities. Today it is a bit unclear whether rueda confusión is used as a separate concept, and if so, how it is defined. (Several ideas for rueda confucion were tried out, like changing roles in the middle of certain figures, etc.)
Confucion means “confusion”. This is also used as a call in rueda switch, as shown in the list of calls below. (Resulting in a full circle of the literal meaning of the name..)
While the role chaning variations were develloping, another variant also appeared, rueda travesti/ rueda sopresa. The main differences were:
- switch / confusion:
In the transition you don’t change your steps but you change from dancing on 1 to 5.
After a switch the new leader (the original follower) now starts leading on 5, stepping forward on the left foot. The new follower steps back on the right foot on 5. Another switch will change back to dancing on 1, with the initial roles. In this variation the role changes may come very rapidly and freqently.
. - travesti / sopresa:
In the transition you step on 8, so you keep dancing on 1 (or 5, whatever you were dancing on).
A transition (“travesti” or “sopresa”) is commonly done from guapea. And after a transition, the new leader (the original follower) now steps on 1 with the left foot, and the new follower steps on 1 with the right foot. In this variation, the role changes occur more rarely, and it feels slower, but you are a bit more connected to the music.
More info about rueda travesti.
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Videos
The figures below are commonly used in rueda switch, with a “switch” added to the figure. Like for example “dame una switch” or “enchufla y arriba switch”.
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dame una
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enchufla
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patin
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festival de pelota con vuelta
same turn as in:
enchufla con vuelta
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cero
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vacilala
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patineta
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dile que no
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dame directo
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dame una arriba
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Origin
Rueda switch was created in Germany by Sassan Alivaliollahi around 2007, and taught at the SalsaNor Rueda Congress for the first time in Málaga in 2018.
The origin of rueda confusion is a bit more unclear. Ethan Wagner was involved in creating this in USA, and rueda confucion was taught at the SalsaNor Rueda Congress for the first time in Trondheim in 2016 by Ethan.
Rueda travesti was taught at the SalsaNor Rueda Congress for the first time in Roskilde in 2015.
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